I’ve been quite busy the last couple of days. Most of this week has been spent finding and
then seeking permission from government schools in Jayanagar and Basavanagudi. Swathi and I have been very successful at
scheduling the eye screenings.
Tomorrow I will conduct my first eye screening at Crescent
School. It should make for a very
interesting start as a result of the unique Muslim flavor of the school. I hope that perhaps just this brief moment of
contact might make some impression on their conception of Americans, etc…
Despite the general feeling of unwelcome-ness, I feel that the headmaster there
has genuine concern for the well being of his student. He was quite keen in determining the role of
esteem in the lives of impoverished children.
On a similar note, the neighborhood maid stopped by again
today. Apparently, her grandson, who usually accompanies, her saw me today visit his principal at NR Colony GHPS. He seems undernourished and likely mentally
impaired. His movements and speech were
a bit spastic and his mental capacities below average.
Cousin Balu was here at the time and his presence and
demeanor reflected an interesting inter-caste/inter-class dynamic. It seems such constant exposure to poverty
and the like will most definitely lead to desensitization.
Balu and I spoke for some time this afternoon, nearly four
hours. We spoke mostly about cultural
and religious differences i.e. touching, relationships, Hinduism, etc… but also
about growing Chinese influence and the possibilities of war. Most interestingly, I was asked to provide an
analysis of the family—personalities, relationships, etc...
Ate delicious North Indian thali today for lunch. Bajjis for snack. Butterscotch drumstick.
No comments:
Post a Comment